By Dr. Joel Ademisoye, United States
Wow! What a proliferation of the university institutions in Nigeria with the establishment of 33 new universities, making it a total of 309 in the country, whereas the interest in the university education in the country is on the decline for many Nigerians, attributable to many reasons, such as the lack of employment opportunities for the graduates, inappropriate government university policy and poor funding.support for the tertiary education in Nigeria.
Oops! I vividly recall that the Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa placed a 7-year moratorium on the establishing of new tertiary institutions- university, polytechnic and college of education in Nigeria on 13 August, 2025.
However, one problem is revealed to this writer, that Nigeria doesn’t have the accurate number of total established universities in the country, because I have seen many different, conflicting figures like 309 (Source: NUC), 329 (Source: social media) and 312 (Source: Satista, June 12, 2026.). From this array of figures on the total established universities in Nigeria, which one is accurate, authentic and valid in all these figures which are in the public domain? If there is no accurate figure or data on the total number of established universities in Nigeria, how does the Federal Ministry of Education determines and establishes the capacity of the universities in the country? Also, how is the condition of the proliferation of or the over supply of the university institutions reached in the country? Out of curiosity, what is the carrying capacity of Nigeria’s number of universities? It seems that the federal government, has not cured its cultural problems of collecting, storing and making necessary, important and accurate government information and data readily available to a researcher or a user of the public information like this writer. More importantly, is Nigeria still planning for a population of 242 million people without the accurate, valid facts, information and database?
Why did the Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa place a 7- year moratorium on the establishment of the new tertiary schools in Nigeria? Dr. Alausa, offers the following reasons or factors for the President Tinubu administration’s decision and action in placing a 7-year moratorium on the establishment of the new tertiary institutions- university, polytechnic and college of education in the country in August 2025, which involves- 1. Capacity issues, because the minister stated that Nigeria has enough tertiary institutions- with the 72 federal, 108 state and 159 private universities, making a total of 339 universities in Nigeria in 2025. A total figure of 339, which is in contradiction to the 309 universities in Nigeria cited in this publication. Why is the difference between the Dr. Alausa’s figure of 339 on the established universities and the latest total figure of 309 on established universities in Nigeria cited by the NUC? 2. Resource Waste & Funding- owing to the proliferation of universities in the country, a condition which gives rise to the spreading of the scarce public funds too thin and many private universities are struggling to stay afloat because of the question of affordability and increasing costs of the university education in Nigeria. Hence, the universities’ unhealthy rivalry and competition for students, is very keen, fierce and cutthroat. In fact, many universities in the country are experiencing and suffering from the phenomenon of low students enrollment. For instance, how can a university in the country, financially survive on and sustain itself on a low total enrollment of 2,300 students? 3. Quality Control- The moratorium on the establishment of the new universities in Nigeria would give the President Tinubu administration the space, breathing room and the opportunity to address many of the outstanding problems by “rehabilitating of the physical infrastructure, improving academic standards, and hiring qualified teaching staff rather than expanding the number of schools” in Nigeria. During my teaching assignment at one of Ondo State owned Universities, I observed that the institution was beset with the many problems of educational infrastructure, such as the lack of a adequate science laboratories.
Against the backdrop of a 7- year moratorium on the establishment of tertiary schools in Nigeria, which was announced by the Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Alausa, in less than a year ago. Surprisingly, I just read about the establishment and approval of 33 new universities by the NUC in Nigeria. What happens to the President Tinubu administration’s 7– year moratorium on the establishment of new universities in Nigeria? Has the President Tinubu government’s concerns for the proliferation of the university in Nigeria, which led to the imposition of the moratorium on the establishment of new universities in the country changed? Or there is the political pressure factor or the influence of the 2027 Nigerian Presidential Election, involved in the lifting of the President Tinubu’s moratorium on the approval of the 33 new universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC), in the country?
This writer considers the Minister Alausa’s stated goals as a lofty aim and ambitious plan, to adequately monitoring, controlling and managing the current number of established universities, which totaled 309 in the country.
At the sub- national level, in my home State of Ondo, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has yielded to the political pressure and demand by the Owo Town and its people to convert and upgrade the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic Owo (RUGPO), to a state university. Finally, Governor Aiyedatiwa responded to the political pressures and demands from the Owo people by approving and converting the RUGPO to the Rufus Giwa University of Agriculture, Science and Technology Owo. Today, there are 4 state owned universities in Ondo State, each past and current state governor – are responsible for and instrumental to establishing a university in a major town in the 3 Senatorial Districts of Ondo State. Hence, it is observed that the establishment of a state university was part of the state politics, which involved a political undercurrent, influence and intervention as revealed in the history, establishment and location of the 4 state owned universities in Ondo State. For example, arguably, there was a politics of establishment and location of the state university by Governors Olusegun Agagu and Olusegun Mimiko, using their strong political leadership, power and position to influence and sway the establishment and location of a university in their hometowns of Okitipupa and Ondo respectively. Question: Realistically speaking, does Ondo State need 4 state owned universities? Where is the money or funds coming from to adequately support the 4 state owned universities in the state? The current 3 existing universities are struggling to provide a quality university education, pay the salaries of teachers/staff and supply the necessary educational infrastructure- science laboratories, engineering workshops and student hostels, to meet the modern, global standards. What are the current students enrollment in the 3 existing state owned universities of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akugba, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology in Okitipupa and The University of Medical Sciences in Ondo Town? Whereas the students enrollment in the Rufus Giwa University of Agriculture, Science and Technology Owo, is yet to be determined, because it is yet to be operational.
In addition to the proliferation of the state universities at the sub- national level in Nigeria, which isn’t unique and peculiar to Ondo State, many educators and observers of the state owned tertiary institutions / universities and their vagaries in the monthly subvention by the State government , which is attributed to the unstable, irregular and erratic nature of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which is raising the eyebrows and concerns about the funding capacity of the Governor Aiyedatiwa government, to adequately provide the necessary financial resources to support the 4 state universities in Ondo State? When there is failure in payment of the monthly subventions to the tertiary institutions or the existing 3 universities in the state, the Governor Aiyedatiwa administration must come up with the Special Intervention Funds, which have been a struggle and difficult to come by.
But, with the National Universities Commission (NUC), announcing the list of approved 33 new universities in the country (Source: “NUC approves 33 new universities bringing total to 309,” The Cable, February 16, 2026.), under the Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Alausa’s moratorium on the establishment of the new universities for 7 years, what has changed in the Tinubu government’s trajectory, position and policy? According to the NUC, it approved the 33 new universities, because “to accommodate the growing number of eligible students, bridge the regional educational gaps and align academic programs with the modern, global standards”.
For this writer, I find the NUC’s reasons for approving the 33 new universities in Nigeria to be in contradiction and conflict with the Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Alausa’s statement and rationale for the imposing of a 7- year moratorium on the establishment of new universities in the country. It appears that the two government agencies- the Federal Ministry of Education and NUC’s actions are at cross purposes.
Other interests and stakeholders in the Nigeria university education in the country like the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has questioned, expressed its concern about and warned the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), against the proliferation of the university institutions in Nigeria, for a political purpose and expediency rather than meeting the country’s educational needs. For example, in addition to some observers of the university sector, who have characterized the establishing of the new universities as a political gimmick, patronage, or a constituency project in the hands of the politicians and the elected representatives in the National Assembly in Abuja.
In addition to the problem of the proliferation of the Nigerian university, I have the opportunity to visit the Federal University of Technology in Akure (FUTA), the Ondo State government owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba – Akoko (AAUA) and a private owned Babcock University, Ilishan – Remo, Ogun State, I observed that there is a big difference in the level of fundings and investment in these
educational infrastructure development. I found that the quality of educational infrastructure threshold in Babcock and FUTA universities to be of higher standards, whereas at the AAUA, the infrastructure is of a moderate standard in comparison to the other two universities. Without mincing words, the Babcock and FUTA universities are well- endowed and rich in their educational infrastructure provision and significant financial resources spent on the educational infrastructure development as reflected in good roads, classroom buildings, student hostels, reliable electricity and drinking water supplies, science laboratories, engineering workshops, library, classroom technology, etc. – which are strikingly profound and breathtaking. Also, the quality of educational infrastructure development factor might help to explain why Babcock (11th ranking) and FUTA (15th ranking) are ranked higher among the Nigerian universities by the Times High Education (THE) World University Rankings, whereas the AAUA is ranked 13th by Webometerics and it is considered the best state university in Nigeria.
Out of the total number of 309 universities in Nigeria, what is the regional and geographical distribution of these universities in the country? In the Northern Nigeria, there are 126 licensed universities in the region with a breakdown of : North Central with 59 universities, North West: 46 and North East: 21 universities, meaning that the North East with the lowest number of universities in the Northern Nigeria. But, in the Southern Nigeria, the picture is different, there is a total of 184 accredited universities with the following breakdown: South West: 93 universities, South South: 49 universities and South East: 42 universities. These figures revealed that the Southeast has the lowest number of universities in Southern Nigeria. But, out of the 6 Political Zones in Nigeria, the North East Zone has the lowest number of universities with 21. Oops! There is big disparity and the gap in the number of universities between the Northern and Southern Nigeria. Hence, there is a need for a paradigm shift, in bridging the gap in the number of university institutions between the Northern and Southern Nigeria.
For example, you might recall that the Nigerian Presidents have a long list of universities established in their hometowns and states- Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, The Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Muhammadu Buhari, The Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State. But, looking at this collection of the list of the federal universities that are established and located in the Nigerian president’s hometowns, it appears to be a political culture,, tradition and ritual that a university must be established in the Nigerian president’s hometown while in office, considering his enormous political power, leverage and influence over the federal government policy and national budget in Nigeria. It is a germane question, whether Nigeria should have a university established in the president’s hometown?
Out of curiosity and interest for this writer, a Nigerian president as a final policy- maker in the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy structure and hierarchy, who belts the cat, regarding the scrutiny, review and oversight of the decision to establish and locate a university in his hometown? Bluntly put, who makes a final policy call whether to establish or not to locate a federal university in a Nigerian president’s hometown? In my humble opinion, I find the establishment and location of a federal university in a Nigerian president’s hometown, as awkward, inappropriate government decision, a part of the country’s political gimmick and corruption as well.
Against this backdrop of the president’s strong political power, there is a need for a paradigm shift in removing the application for the university establishment from the political process of the National Assembly, tighten its licensing requirements and standards and shifting the federal government’s interest and focus from the university education, to the areas of appropriate polytechnic and vocational training in order to meet the national development goals and satisfy the realities of the modern technology and the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the country. Oops! Without mincing words, there is need for a boost in the adequate funding of the Nigerian universities in the country.
